Monday 4 May 2020

Authentic Details

Virgin Planet, CHAPTER IV.

Poul Anderson thinks of appropriate details for the women-only colony. A place of worship is a Father chapel. A Maiden is a novice in the Mysteries whereas a mother is an initiate. Existing terminologies are adapted to the new conditions.

John Wyndham describes a women-only society in "Consider Her Ways" but that is set on a possible future Earth where men are not awaited but have been made redundant.

Of possible interest to Poul Anderson readers is that that Wyndham title is Biblical:

Proverbs 6:6-8 King James Version (KJV)

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
-copied from here

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I used to have a novel (author and title forgotten, unfortunately) set on a women's only where the male sex died out. And then centuries later the male sex was brought back by means cloning of tissue from a deceased male. And the story goes on to describe the upheavals that caused in a women's society.

If I don't recall the author and title that was probably because liked better how Poul Anderson handled that idea of a women's only planet. Such as his use of HUMOR in the story.

I have read some of Wyndham's works as well, such as THE DAY OF THE TRIFIDS.

Ad astra! Sean